December 31, 2013

Do you remember being told “no” as a child or telling your own children “no”? Why does that little word make the forbidden seem so enticing?? That is exactly what happened to me whenever I tried a diet that included a lot of “no’s”. Whatever I was not supposed to eat, well, that is exactly what I wanted to eat! Even if I had no interest in that food the day before, it suddenly became all I wanted. That is how I discovered, that diets did not work for me. I only got hungrier and more frustrated. I needed a way of life – a way to live every day without feeling deprived.

For me, that way is to simply eat less of everything. There is nothing reasonable that I don’t let myself eat, but I try to never finish my plate. Yes, there are certain foods that I wouldn’t touch, but they aren’t foods I want anyway (i.e. Devil dogs, Twinkies, Big Macs). It is much easier to simply eat less of everything, rather than face all those “no’s” everyday! If I really crave it, I will have it.

One perfect example, for me, is the chocolate covered graham crackers at Starbucks. They are sold in a packet of two and I love them. If I really have a chocolate craving, I buy the packet and immediately throw out one of the crackers. (Yes – it is wasteful – don’t tell Grandma!) It satisfies my craving and I am not tempted to have another because it is gone – literally. Another trick I use is the napkin. As soon as I feel that first hint of fullness – I throw a napkin over my plate. This works especially well in restaurants where you look funny eating from under a napkin! So often we feel a bit full, and then pause, and dig right in again. Try to pay attention to this first feeling of fullness and stop eating then. It is amazing how it becomes a habit and how your body gets used to eating less food. So in the end you are not even saying “no” to more food, because you are simply full and satisfied!

Portion control allows you to eat lots of different foods and it takes away the constant negative voice in your head saying, “Don’t eat that!” Without that reminder, you may be surprised to find that you don’t want that junk food after all. Maybe the only reason you really wanted it in the first place was because someone or some diet said you couldn’t have it!

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On a daily basis, the question I am most commonly asked is: “that is so cool…what is that on your wrist?” And it’s not the rainbow bracelet my daughter made me. It is more like those bracelets you wear when you are under house arrest.

My device du jour is the Nike+ FuelBand. And I have not taken it off my wrist, except for when I literally broke it for over-use, since I first received it as a gift from my husband (which he soon regretted). If I was a workout fanatic before, this definitely took me to a whole ‘notha level.

Wrists everywhere have been flashing these devices as the must-have accessory that tracks everything from the number of steps taken in a day to the hours slept.

Welcome to the latest “health revolution.” The large influence of technology in our daily lives will continue to progress, with a key component involving health and fitness.

According to a recent Forbes article:

By 2017, at least 30% of American consumers will regularly wear a device to track sleep, food, exercise, heart rate, blood pressure and even glucose; the global market for wearables in health and fitness alone could reach 170 million devices.

The exciting part is these devices are your motivational conscience. In a study by researchers at Indiana University, people who wore a pedometer daily walked 16% more than before wearing one.

Seeing actual data on your daily activity helps you set goals and compete against yourself. There is truth in this. On a daily basis, I commit to reaching my goal of 5,000 fuel points, and then, try to beat my history above and beyond that number. It is motivational, inspiring and has become my personal trainer. My app lights up like a bling rainbow when I succeed and rewards me with “trophies” when I excel. It’s amazing. I recently tweeted Nike when I hit that much sought-after 1.5MM goal, and they actually replied to my tweet challenging me to hit 2MM. Silly, silly Nike. Clearly they do not know me. Highlight of my year (and my Klout score ;-)).

These are just a select few of the many available on the market. The above devices connect to apps on your smartphone to track your successes.

In additional to the individual motivational benefits, the thought is that before long, these devices will be able to send real-time data to doctors, nutritionists and trainers – backed by real personal health statistics.

The New Year is the perfect time to start tracking your daily performance and being accountable for your activity level. These apps and devices can also help build a social community by connecting to others using the same programs, creating a sense of competition, goal setting and accountability.

So if you are looking for something to replace all those Christmas returns, for a mere $100-150 you too can be in house arrest and start your new year on track.

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5. Bring it. Ask your hostess if you can bring a dish to the party. This guarantees one healthy option.

7. It’s ok to wine. Why we love it – it has less calories than most cocktails and red wine is loaded with antioxidants and resveratrol (good for your heart and brain).

6. Choose your signature drink wisely. If having a mixed drink, choose seltzer vs. tonic water/ juice and add a lemon or lime. You will cut your liquid calories in half (for a hint of sweetness, add a splash of cranberry juice).

8. Drink 10 oz. of water after every cocktail. Water will fill you up (and cut down on the hang-over).

9. When perusing the hors d’oeuvre table, choose protein over carbs. Be mindful, most dips are hidden calories traps (yes, we are talking about the artichoke dip!).

10. If sitting down for dinner, load the plate with veggies and eat them first (maybe skip the marshmallow coated sweet potatoes 😉 )

11. If you overeat at one meal go light on the next. It takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) above your normal consumption to gain one pound. It is impossible to gain weight from one piece of pie!

12. Eat your favorite foods…don’t deprive yourself of the things you love…just keep it in moderation (and save some for others).

13. Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.

14. Find that balance. Stay on track the days before and after a party.

15. Wake up the next day, put on your laces and sweat.

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